Description
Book SynopsisOffers a rereading of the early history of Chan Buddhism (Zen). This work focuses on the narrative logics of the early Chan genealogies - the seventh-and eighth-century lineage texts that claimed that certain high-profile Chinese men were descendents of Bodhidharma and the Buddha.
Trade Review"A detailed study ... Cole fills in important details about the Chan patriarch fabrication from the seventh and eighth century." Buddhadharma "[Cole] offers an exciting way to examine early Chan Buddhist literature." -- Jack Meng-Tat Chia Buddhist Studies Review
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments 1. Healthy Skepticism, and a Field Theory for the Emergence of Chan Literature 2. The State of Enlightenment: The Empire of Truth in Zhiyi's Legacy and Xinxing's Sect of the Three Levels 3. Owning It: Shaolin Monastery's In-house Buddha 4. The Future of an Illusion: Du Fei Hijacks Shaolin's Truth-Fathers 5. My Life as a Buddha: Jingjue's Version of the Truth-Fathers 6. Shenhui's "Stop Thief" Bid to Be the Seventh Son Conclusion: Assessing the Hole at the Beginning of It All Chinese Glossary References Index
